California Coastkeeper Alliance

Headline: Ag runoff center of water quality debate

2012-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

Everyone on the Central Coast seems to want cleaner water but can't agree on how to get it.

That message was clear at a public debate on water quality Wednesday night at Salinas City Hall. The Central Coast Water Quality Control Board forum came in advance of a March 15 hearing in San Luis Obispo, where the board will consider controversial agricultural runoff rules, known as the agricultural order. The board heard comments and asked questions, but did comment as they will at next month's hearing.

The control board's decision will affect lands spanning 300 miles of the Central Coast, future drinking water supplies and the region's agricultural industry, which brings in about $6 billion in annual revenue. Environmental groups urged the board to adopt the regulations, while growers proposed an alternative path to clean water.

If the board decides in March, it will be three years overdue in renewing a 2004 policy meant to improve agricultural water quality, especially reducing nitrate and pesticide contamination.

According to the board, surface and ground water, including drinking water, are impaired or polluted by waste water from irrigated agriculture. For example, the ag order references a study from the Department of Water Resources that found 17 percent of public wells sampled on the Central Coast did not meet state drinking water standards.

There was no argument at the meeting over whether to improve water quality, but rather over how to do it and when a new ag order would adopted by the board.

"The question before you today is what is going to work in the real world," said Andy Caldwell of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business.

A new component of the draft ag order, and a major concern for farmers, is the requirement that individual growers would submit water quality monitoring data.

Among other concerns were questions about whether the new order would actually improve water quality, if the requirements were attainable for growers and if the detail and scope of the order would create unintended consequences.

"Monitoring doesn't fix the problem," said Brad Barbeau, assistant professor of economics at CSUMB, adding that the costs of monitoring farm discharge would direct resources away from managing for cleaner runoff.

Headline: Judge postpones frost protection rules for Russian River growers

2012-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

A Mendocino County judge on Thursday postponed the state’s new rules on frost protection until grape growers who filed a lawsuit challenging the rules have their day in court.

Rudy and Linda Light, who own a small family vineyard in Redwood Valley on a tributary to the west fork of the Russian River, filed the lawsuit in October to challenge the frost protection regulations enacted by the state Water Resources Control Board last fall.

The ruling by Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Ann Moorman delayed enforcement of the new regulations, a decision that lawyers say will apply to all grape growers in the Russian River watershed.

“Everybody who was concerned about the regulation benefits from it,” said Matisse M. Knight, a Ukiah lawyer who represented the plaintiffs. “The board can’t enforce that regulation. And that’s not exclusive to the Lights.”

State water regulators urged growers Thursday to voluntarily comply with the controversial rules while the courts resolve two legal challenges filed by growers in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Such actions would demonstrate that growers are taking precautionary steps to protect endangered species, said Kathie Smith, spokeswoman for the State Water Resources Control Board.

“The State Water Board is currently reviewing the court’s ruling,” Smith said in a statement. “However, this is not a ruling on the merits of the case, it is simply a ruling on whether the regulations are enforceable prior to trial.”

The new state regulations are designed to protect young salmon from becoming stranded when water levels in the Russian River and its tributaries are low.

Headline: Celebrated Marin County salmon make their return

2012-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

The storied silver salmon of West Marin - long considered a bellwether of salmon health in California - are laying eggs and carrying on in Lagunitas Creek this week almost as if they weren't teetering on the edge of doom.

There are, of course, plenty of obstacles to the species' long-term survival, but last month's long-awaited rain - paltry as it was - prompted the endangered fish to begin their annual rush into the creeks and tributaries of the lush San Geronimo Valley to make babies.

The late blitz of coho brought renewed hope to fisheries experts, watershed managers and the creekside communities where the celebrated fish lay their eggs and then die.

"It shows that these fish can survive for months without spawning, while waiting for the rains to come," said Eric Ettlinger, the aquatic ecologist for the Marin Municipal Water District, which conducts annual fish surveys with help from volunteers and nonprofit groups. "Three years ago people were discussing how coho were about to become extinct in Central California, and it seems like they are beginning to bounce back."

Strong turnout
Biologists have observed 377 coho salmon in the Lagunitas watershed this winter and 103 redds, the word used by brainy types in smocks to refer to the clusters of pink eggs that salmon lay in the gravel.

It is a remarkable showing, Ettlinger said, considering the lack of rain this season. The salmon, he said, have been waiting since November for creek flows to be strong enough for them to swim up to their favored nesting spots. The carnal surge began Jan. 19, when the region was doused by 10 inches of rain.

Coho, also known as silver salmon, are born in cold freshwater rivers and streams where they live for a year before swimming to the ocean. They typically return at age 3 to where they were born to lay eggs and fertilize them.

This year's fish are the children of the 2008-09 generation, which holds the record for the least fertile since the district began the surveys 17 years ago. Only 43 coho and 26 egg nests were seen in the watershed that year.

"The fish that are spawning now are the offspring of those few fish," Ettlinger said. "We are very pleasantly surprised at how many of those offspring have returned."

Last winter, 152 coho and 80 redds were counted in the watershed, which includes Lagunitas and San Geronimo creeks. That was disappointing, Ettlinger said, because the fish were the grandchildren of the coho that spawned in 2004-05, the most potent generation on record. The 1,342 coho seen in the watershed that year made 496 redds.

Fearing for the fish
In fact, the past three years were the least profligate spawning years on record, raising fears among biologists that the species was in the midst of a death spiral.

"Last year marked two generations of steep declines," Ettlinger said. "Those years were all lower than their parent generations were. Now, for the first time in seven years, we are seeing more offspring than the parent's generation."

The Lagunitas coho swim 33 miles through the redwood- and oak-studded valley on the northwest side of Mount Tamalpais. It is the largest wild run of coho salmon along the area that biologists and regulators categorize as the Central Coast and is a model for fisheries restoration in the state.

Marin County has always been a stronghold for coho, which were so numerous that grizzly bears fed on them before Europeans arrived in California. Legend has it that homesteaders speared them from docks over the water. The runs kept up even after 1873, when the first of seven dams were built in the watershed, blocking 50 percent of the historic spawning habitat.

Then, suddenly, the fish stopped showing up. Central California coho were listed as endangered in 2005 under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Press Release: Media Invited on Coastkeeper's Boat to Tour "King Tides" Tuesday Feb. 7

2012-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 31, 2012 – On Feb. 7, some of the year’s highest tides will breach San Diego’s shorelines, providing a glimpse of what the region can expect as sea levels rise in the coming years. According to The San Diego Foundation’s Regional Focus 2050 Study, increases in sea level in San Diego could be 12 – 18 inches by 2050. The king tides on Monday, Feb. 6 through Wednesday, Feb. 8 are predicted to raise water levels five to eight inches above normal.

San Diego Coastkeeper and Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve invite media for a boat tour of the San Diego Bay to learn more about sea level rise in San Diego and how king tides demonstrate potential impacts.

What: Explore San Diego Bay on San Diego Coastkeeper’s boat during the king tides to see how climate change and sea level rise could affect San Diego’s coastline. Speak with Coastkeeper’s scientist and coastal training program coordinator from Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve about potential impacts to the community and the importance of protecting the coastline starting now.

Who: San Diego Coastkeeper scientist Travis Pritchard and Tijuana River National Estuarine Reserve’s Coastal Training Program Coordinator Kristen Goodrich.

When: The king tides will occur on Feb. 6, 7, and 8 in the morning. The tour is on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7 a.m.

Where: The tour will leave from the Kona Kai Marina (1561 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA) on Shelter Island. Boat tour will travel through various locations in San Diego Bay that highlight the impact of sea level rise. Media must RSVP with San Diego Coastkeeper (Jamie: 619-758-7743 x101 or at communications@sdcoastkeeper.org) to get a ride on the boat.

Why: The communities of San Diego were mostly built with the thought that our coastline was a stable landform that wouldn’t change. With the threat of climate change and associated sea level rise looming, it’s vital that we understand how a higher sea level can affect us. The rare king tide events offer a glimpse into what impacts will occur with higher sea levels.

Also, local environmental organizations are working within a statewide project to have volunteers in San Diego County document this winter’s highest tides. Statewide, the organizations will use the photography to help policymakers visualize projected impacts from rising sea levels and take action to protect homes, harbors, airports, and other key infrastructure as well as wetlands, beaches, and public access to the coast. Residents can learn more at www.califoniakingtides.com and are encouraged to get out their cameras each morning and help capture sea level rise impacts by submitting photos, along with their contact information, photo location, orientation, and date and time of day, directly to the California King Tide page at www.flickr.com/groups/cakingtides.

Bonus: We are available for individual tours/interviews by land upon request.

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About San Diego Coastkeeper
Founded in 1995, San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region’s inland and coastal waters for the communities and wildlife that depend on them by blending education, community empowerment, and advocacy. For more information, http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org

About National Estuarine Research Reserve System
The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) is a network of protected areas established for long-term research, education, and stewardship. Through a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Estuarine Reserves Division and the coastal states, the NERRS plays a critical role in sustaining the nation’s estuaries and coastal communities. There are currently 28 Reserves located throughout the United States, comprising more than one million acres of estuarine land and water. Reserves conduct research, monitoring, restoration, education, and training designed to improve our understanding and management of estuaries. For more information, visit www.trnerr.org

Press Release: High Tides Illustrate Vulnerability of Santa Barbara’s Shoreline

2012-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

SANTA BARBARA, Feb. 1, 2011 – Next week, some of the year’s highest tides will breach California’s coastal and bay shorelines, providing a glimpse of what the state can expect as sea levels rise in the coming years. Santa Barbara Channelkeeper is working as part of a statewide initiative to mobilize citizens in Santa Barbara to get out their cameras and document some of this winter’s highest tides - known as “King Tides” - on Feb. 6 - 8, 2012.

“King tides are an excellent way to visualize how higher sea levels and increased storm intensity could change our shoreline and impact our precious coastal resources,” says Michael Sheehy, Marine Programs Director at Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. “Collecting images of these higher sea level events across the state provides a wonderful outreach tool to inform policymakers of the importance in proactively addressing climate change.”

According to a 2009 report by the Pacific Institute, the ocean along California's coast is projected to rise as much as 55 inches by the end of the century. King Tides are typically five to eight inches above normal, providing a glimpse of Santa Barbara’s future. To help document the potential impacts of rising sea levels, Channelkeeper is calling on local citizens to take photos during the King Tides coming between 7-9am on February 6th, 7th, and 8th in areas known to flood and where high water levels can be gauged against sea walls, jetties, bridge supports or dikes. Locales vulnerable to high tides include (but are not limited to) Isla Vista beaches, Goleta Beach County Park, Leadbetter Beach, Butterfly Beach, Miramar Beach, Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Hobson State Beach and Faria State Beach.

Last year, Channelkeeper joined the California Coastkeeper Alliance, other organizations, and volunteers as part of the King Tides Initiative to take photos during some of the highest tides of the year. The Initiative aims to engage Californians in a conversation about the future of coastal areas, identify and catalog coastal areas that are currently vulnerable to tidal inundation, and build an online resource of images that can be used by everyone to communicate about coastal hazards. The ultimate goal is to support climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and to inspire communities and policy-makers to take the necessary steps to protect our coastal beaches, wetlands and coastal properties from destruction as our shoreline disappears under rising seas.

Citizens are encouraged to get out their cameras and then upload their photos, along with their contact information, photo location, orientation and date and time of day, directly to the California King Tides Flickr group: www.flickr.com/groups/cakingtides, and to michael@sbck.org.

To learn more about the King Tides Initiative please visit www.californiakingtides.org or www.sbck.org.

Photo: Solimar Beach, Ventura County during King Tides in February, 2011.
Photo Credit: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

CCKA In The Press: Volunteer Photographers Needed to Document Next Week’s ‘King Tides’ in Santa Barbara

2012-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

Some of the year’s highest tides will breach California’s coastal and bay shorelines next week, providing a glimpse of what the state can expect as sea levels rise in the coming years. Santa Barbara Channelkeeper is working as part of a statewide initiative to mobilize citizens in Santa Barbara to get out their cameras and document some of this winter’s highest tides — known as “King Tides” — next Monday through Wednesday, Feb. 6-8.

“King tides are an excellent way to visualize how higher sea levels and increased storm intensity could change our shoreline and impact our precious coastal resources,” said Michael Sheehy, Marine Programs director at Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. “Collecting images of these higher sea level events across the state provides a wonderful outreach tool to inform policymakers of the importance in proactively addressing climate change.”

According to a 2009 report by the Pacific Institute, the ocean along California’s coast is projected to rise as much as 55 inches by the end of the century. King Tides are typically 5 to 8 inches above normal, providing a glimpse of Santa Barbara’s future. To help document the potential impacts of rising sea levels, Channelkeeper is calling on local citizens to take photos during the King Tides coming between 7 and 9 a.m. Monday through Wednesday in areas known to flood and where high water levels can be gauged against sea walls, jetties, bridge supports or dikes.

Locales vulnerable to high tides include (but are not limited to) Isla Vista beaches, Goleta Beach Park, Leadbetter Beach, Butterfly Beach, Miramar Beach, Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Hobson State Beach and Faria State Beach.

Last year, Channelkeeper joined the California Coastkeeper Alliance, other organizations and volunteers as part of the King Tides Initiative to take photos during some of the highest tides of the year. The initiative aims to engage Californians in a conversation about the future of coastal areas, identify and catalog coastal areas that are currently vulnerable to tidal inundation, and build an online resource of images that can be used by everyone to communicate about coastal hazards. The ultimate goal is to support climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and to inspire communities and policy-makers to take the necessary steps to protect our coastal beaches, wetlands and coastal properties from destruction as our shoreline disappears under rising seas.

Press Release: King Tides Are Coming to California this February 8th

2012-02-03T12:00:00+00:00

Los Angeles – King Tides have arrived in California! King tides are extreme wintertime high tide events that occur as the result of the combined gravitational forces of the sun and moon. They are a naturally occurring phenomenon that can cause coastal flooding, and also provide a glimpse of what rising sea levels could look like for Californians in the coming years. There is one remaining king tide event this winter occurring over a three day period on February 6th, 7th and 8th.

As part of the 3rd annual California King Tides Initiative, Santa Monica Baykeeper and the California Coastkeeper Alliance are asking citizens to document the 2012 king tides by taking photographs during high tide anywhere along the California coast, particularly in areas subject to flooding or erosion, and submitting them to the California King Tides Photo Initiative site. The King Tides Photo Initiative is a great tool for visualizing the effects of future sea level rise, identifying areas subject to flooding, and making the connection between current polluting practices and the not-too-distant future consequences. According to the California Energy Commission, the state “may see up to a 55 inch (140 cm) rise in sea level within this century.” This living document intends to inspire communities and policymakers to take action against global warming, and the necessary steps to protect our coastal beaches, wetlands, and development from destruction as our shoreline disappears under rising seas.

Santa Monica Baykeeper Executive Director Liz Crosson indicates “[s]ea level rise is a serious and imminent threat to the environmental and economic infrastructure of the California coastline. King tides are a unique opportunity to envision the flooding, erosion, and damage that will inevitably occur unless policy and community action measures ensure that our coastal wetlands and estuaries are intact, and shoreline resources protected. “

Where to view & photograph southern California king tides in Los Angeles County: Broad Beach, Malibu shoreline homes, Marina del Rey, Port of Long Beach, & Port of Los Angeles

The press is invited aboard the ‘Baykeeper’ to witness king tides from the sea. Contact Santa Monica Baykeeper to reserve space on our February 8th, high tide boat trip, from 7:30am to noon. Please contact Brian Meux at bmeux@smbaykeeper.org soon as space is limited.

For more information about King Tides, or where to view them, please visit www.smbaykeeper.org or http://californiakingtides.org/.

Founded in 1993, Santa Monica Baykeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Santa Monica Bay, San Pedro Bay and adjacent waters through enforcement, fieldwork, and community action. We work to achieve this goal through litigation and regulatory programs that ensure water quality protections in waterways throughout L.A. County; www.smbaykeeper.org.
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Press Release: "King Tides" Illustrate Vulnerability of California Shoreline

2012-02-02T12:00:00+00:00

On Monday, some of the year’s highest tides will hit California shorelines, providing a glimpse of what the state can expect as sea levels rise in the coming years. These “king tides” – as the highest winter tides are called – will be captured by citizen imagery through the California King Tides Initiative. The California Ocean Protection Council estimates more than one foot of sea level rise by 2050 and four to five feet by 2100 along the California coast. The initiative is getting the public involved by asking residents to photograph high tides in their neighborhood, highlighting the way homes, harbors, and other infrastructure, as well as beaches, wetlands, and public access to the coast may be affected by sea level rise in the future.

The final winter king tides well occur from Monday, February 6 through February 8. These February king tides mark the third of three winter king tides events, following earlier king tide events on January 20-22, 2012 and December 23-24, 2011. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide charts provide specific information about the timing and location of tide levels: co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/tides11/tpred2.html#CA.

Interested media can contact Sara Aminzadeh (sara@cacoastkeeper.org) to schedule interviews, boat trips, and shoreline tours in San Diego, Orange County, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco.

Participants can submit and view images at www.flickr.com/groups/cakingtides, and find out more about the California King Tides Initiative at http://californiakingtides.org/.

Where to view and photograph King Tides.

North Coast/Humboldt: Eureka: Woodley Island; Indian Island; Del Norte St. Pier; Halvorsen Park/The Adorni Center. Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. King Salmon Beach. New Navy Base Road in Manila/Samoa.

San Francisco Area Outer Coast: Ocean Beach; Stinson Beach; Pacifica: Beach Blvd. Sea Wall near the municipal pier; Laguna Salada. City of Capitola. City of Santa Cruz.

Inner SF Bay: Proposed Treasure Island development site. South Bay: Redwood Creek and proposed Redwood City dev. site, Dumbarton Bridge. Marin: Corte Madera, Richardson Bay, Gallinas Creek (north of China Camp).

Santa Barbara Area: Isla Vista beaches, Goleta Beach County Park, Leadbetter Beach, Butterfly Beach, Miramar Beach, Padaro Lane, Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Hobson State Beach, Faria, and Emma Wood State Beach.

Santa Monica: Broad Beach, Malibu shoreline homes, Marina del Rey, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles.

Orange County: Seal Beach/Sunset Beach Oceanfront (City of Seal Beach), Huntington Harbor (Huntington Beach), Newport Beach islands and peninsula (Newport Beach).

San Diego: San Diego Bay, Oceanside Beach, San Elijo Lagoon, Del Mar Dog Beach/San Dieguito Entrance, Torrey Pines (where Penasquitos enters the ocean), La Jolla Shores, and Mission Beach.

Photo should be attributed to Cassidy Teufel. Taken on December 24, 2011 in Pismo Beach, California. ###

Headline: Californians Largely Unaware of the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta

2012-02-01T12:00:00+00:00

The majority of Californians have never heard of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta), according to poll results released by California public opinion research firm Probolsky Research at the Southern California Water Committee’s January 27 Quarterly Meeting.

While the Delta is the core of California’s water delivery system, as well as a key environmental resource, 78 percent of respondents in the statewide survey said they do not know what the Delta is. The survey results underscore the significant need to educate Californians throughout the state about the Delta.Key findings from the survey showed:

• Statewide 78 percent said they did not know what the Delta is.

o 86 percent of Southern Californians did not know about the Delta.

o Nearly 70 percent of respondents outside of Southern California did not know about the Delta.

The survey also tested support for the 2012 water bond, slated for the November statewide ballot, and approximately 60 percent of respondents said they would support the bond.

“With California looking at making major investments in water infrastructure, polling shows that significant education needs to be done about the Delta and our water supply. Regardless of whether voters say they support a bond today, there is clearly a need for greater voter understanding of the role and impact of water infrastructure in the state,” said Adam Probolsky, Chairman & CEO of Probolsky Research.

So What Do Californians Know About the Delta?

“It’s an area where big cities exist.”

“It is the oil line from Canada to the United States.”

“It is about most of our commerce where the ships come.”

“He is not a candidate of my concern.”

“If it is the bill about weapons control…Every person in the world should have the right to keep and bear arms.”

“I know absolutely nothing.”

*Sampling of verbatim responses

The Delta is the largest estuary on the West Coast and home to unique communities and farming interests, and it currently doubles as the state’s primary water conveyance system, sending freshwater to 25 million Californians throughout Northern, Central and Southern California. The estuary has faced growing dangers during the past few decades, and significant work is being done through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan to determine the best way to manage the Delta and the state’s water system in years to come.

“For more than five years, the state and federal governments, wildlife agencies, water agencies and environmental groups have been studying and planning for the Delta, it’s time we bring that conversation down to the local level,” said Rich Atwater, executive director of the Southern California Water Committee. “Southern Californians should know that the Delta is very important for our state, not just as a critical aspect of our water system but also as an environmental treasure, home to communities, farms and infrastructure.”

Headline: L.A.'s wasteful sprinklers

2012-02-01T12:00:00+00:00

It's raining. It's pouring. Or at least it was at 4 in the morning a couple of Saturdays ago. And though no old men were snoring in my vicinity, some sprinklers were watering lawns, rain or no rain. It was waste in its purest form because during and after a downpour the water runs right off the saturated soil into the street.

Turning curbs into waterfalls is a side effect of technology that lets us run sprinklers on timers that we set and forget. In theory, they allow watering at optimal but inconvenient times, such as early morning, when cooler air minimizes evaporation. In practice, timers mean homeowners have no idea what their sprinklers are doing because they don't see them sprinkling.

But if you walk your kids to school, or take a stroll after a losing battle with insomnia at 4 in the morning, you see the seamy underworld of urban lawn irrigation in all its profligate horror. Sprinklers run on the same schedule in December as in August, which means they use the maximum amount of water year round. They run too long, so water pools and cascades into the street. Sprinkler heads break and become geysers. Misaligned sprinklers water nothing but cars parked at the curb or pedestrians on the sidewalk, even if takes only fingers to realign them. (Yes, neighbors, I have sometimes braved the spray of your sprinklers and heroically set them back to rightness and truth. You're welcome).

Most sprinkler systems can be shut off with a switch labeled something like "rain off." But someone has to actually do the switching, and it's astonishing how many homeowners won't bother or don't know how to operate their timers: they lose the manual or move into a house that already has a set timer system and never learn how it works. Or they leave their timers, like other maintenance, to gardeners who come once a week (and not at 4 in the morning).

There's no way to tell exactly how much water badly timed or malfunctioning sprinklers actually waste. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power isn't measuring runoff at 4 in the morning. But reasonable estimates of the wastage run between "staggering" and "insane."

In 2007, The Times reported that sprinkler systems on municipal land alone wasted "millions of gallons" through unnecessary timed watering and malfunctioning sprinklers but that upgrading irrigation systems was so expensive that it was cheaper for the cities to waste the water.

The Saving Water Partnership website of the Seattle and Participating Local Water Utilities says automatic sprinklers waste "40%-50% of the water used." (Do they irrigate in Seattle? Has that place gone a week without rain since the last Ice Age?) The Mono Lake Committee — the Mono Basin is one of L.A.'s water sources — says improved sprinkler practices can save "750 to 1,500 gallons" a month.

CCKA In The Press: San Diego Coastkeeper Hosts 5th Annual Walk the Watershed on March 31

2012-02-01T12:00:00+00:00

On March 31 from 8:30 a.m. - noon, San Diego Coastkeeper combines education and fun, while hosting its 5th Annual Walk the Watershed event at Otay Valley Regional Park.

The free event will engage participants and students with fun activities to restore our watersheds and understand how inland pollution affects our ocean.

Walk the Watershed will bring school students of all ages and community members to take a walk through several educational stations consisting of watershed models, introduction to native and invasive plants and wildlife, historical land use, urban runoff and restoration. Participants will also volunteer on restoration projects such as invasive plant removal to restore Otay Watershed.

CCKA In The Press: February King Tides to Illustrate the Future Effects of Sea Level Rise

2012-01-31T12:00:00+00:00

Los Angeles King Tides have arrived in California! King tides are extreme wintertime high tide events that occur as the result of the combined gravitational forces of the sun and moon. They are a naturally occurring phenomenon that can cause coastal flooding, and also provide a glimpse of what rising sea levels could look like for Californians in the coming years. There is one remaining king tide event this winter occurring over a three day period on February 6th, 7th and 8th.

As part of the 3rd annual California King Tides Initiative, Santa Monica Baykeeper and the California Coastkeeper Alliance are asking citizens to document the 2012 king tides by taking photographs during high tide anywhere along the California coast, particularly in areas subject to flooding or erosion, and submitting them to the California King Tides Photo Initiative site. The King Tides Photo Initiative is a great tool for visualizing the effects of future sea level rise, identifying areas subject to flooding, and making the connection between current polluting practices and the not-too-distant future consequences. According to the California Energy Commission, the state "may see up to a 55 inch (140 cm) rise in sea level within this century." This living document intends to inspire communities and policymakers to take action against global warming, and the necessary steps to protect our coastal beaches, wetlands, and development from destruction as our shoreline disappears under rising seas.

Santa Monica Baykeeper Executive Director Liz Crosson indicates "[s]ea level rise is a serious and imminent threat to the environmental and economic infrastructure of the California coastline. King tides are a unique opportunity to envision the flooding, erosion, and damage that will inevitably occur unless policy and community action measures ensure that our coastal wetlands and estuaries are intact, and shoreline resources protected."

Headline: Draft Carlsbad desal agreement to be ready by spring, says Water Authority

2012-01-31T12:00:00+00:00

The San Diego County Water Authority said Thursday it expects to release this spring a final draft agreement to buy desalinated water from Poseidon Resources Corp.

Member water agencies and the public would have 60 days to review the draft agreement with Stamford, Conn.-based Poseidon. The agreement could go before the Water Authority's board this summer if talks are successful, the authority said in a statement.

That timetable is on schedule, the authority said. If the agreement is approved and construction goes forward as anticipated, the Water Authority said it expects the desalinated water will be available by 2016.

Poseidon is attempting to build a desalination plant next to the Encina Power Station in coastal Carlsbad. It will have a capacity of making 50 million gallons of fresh water a day from seawater, about 10 percent of water used in San Diego County.

Before it can proceed with construction, Poseidon needs to sign a contract with a customer financially strong enough so that investors will front the hundreds of millions needed to build the project. That customer would be the Water Authority, under a deal proposed in 2010. The authority supplies most of the water used in San Diego County, selling it to member agencies that sell to residential, business and agricultural customers at retail.

Poseidon recently filed a request with the state to sell up to $780 million in tax-exempt bonds to fund the project. The company said it also expects to raise additional money by selling equity in the plant. In December, the company said it estimates the project would.

Under the proposed agreement, Poseidon would sell its desalinated water to the authority, which would resell the water to the member agencies. These agencies will have 60 days from the final draft agreement's release to declare whether they intend to buy some of the desalinated water from the authority.

"We're entering the home stretch of taking all the necessary steps to ensure we're protecting the interests of the Water Authority, our member agencies and our ratepayers in determining the proposed commercial terms for purchasing water from Poseidon," Ken Weinberg, director of water resources, said in the authority press release.

As part of the review process, Weinberg said he currently expects board workshops to take place in May and June. These workshops will be open to the public. Exact dates will be set based on when the final draft water purchase agreement is released.

In July 2010, Poseidon setting conditions for negotiations on a water purchase agreement could begin.

In the summer of 2011, Poseidon selected the joint venture of Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. and JF Shea Construction for the design and construction of the plant and pipeline if the project moves forward. Poseidon has contracted with Israel Desalination Engineers to operate the plant.

Negotiations between the authority and Poseidon began in November 2011. Poseidon is reviewing a second draft of the agreement. The authority and Poseidon plan to meet in mid-February for their next negotiating session.

Headline: EPA Proposal Allows 1 in 28 People to get Sick at U.S. Beaches

2012-01-31T12:00:00+00:00

A new EPA proposal to address pollution at U.S. beaches allows 1 in 28 people to get sick when they go to the beach. Imagine a school fieldtrip to the beach – for every large conventional school bus, nearly three kids would be put at risk of getting an illness like diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

Now imagine if a restaurant was allowed to serve food that would make 1 in 28 people sick. The public wouldn’t tolerate it. Yet EPA somehow is considering allowing 1 in 28 swimmers to get sick at the beach. It’s outrageous and a serious health risk that cannot and should not be ignored.

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000 required EPA to issue by 2005 recreational beach criteria “for the purpose of protecting human health” at coastal and Great Lake beaches. When EPA failed to meet this deadline, NRDC sued and secured a court order requiring EPA to follow the law. EPA’s new proposal claims to do this, but it is far less protective of the public health than current science and good public policy dictate.

So just how did we get here?

EPA says it is because the risks of highly credible gastrointestinal illnesses are acceptable at the levels of beach contamination EPA allows. These types of illnesses include vomiting, diarrhea with fever and stomachache or nausea accompanied by a fever. At the same time, however, EPA finds that 36 in 1,000 beachgoers (or 1 in 28 beachgoers) will suffer other types of gastrointestinal illnesses when they’re exposed to the same level of contamination. These other types of illnesses include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomachache – basically, the same as the priority illnesses EPA is focused on, just minus the fever.

But if I had to choose between diarrhea alone or diarrhea with a fever, I would choose neither. And I bet most people would too. EPA fails to address this devil’s dilemma, while also failing to properly account for other health outcomes like rash, eye infections and ear ailments – which occur far too frequently as well.

So why is EPA proposing to allow this distinction between illnesses? EPA says it is because following its recommendations won’t cause any actual increase in public health risks; the level of allowable contamination really isn’t changing, we just now know more about some of the illnesses at that level. But EPA must address all known risks to human health. EPA’s proposal fails to do so as it sweeps the most fundamental and alarming point under the rug: knowingly allowing 1 in 28 people to get sick is not protecting public health, nor is it legal.

EPA’s proposal also allows water test results at beaches to be averaged over a period as long as 90 days and for one in every four samples to exceed safe levels before pollution reduction is required. States can always do more, and, thankfully, many already are. But EPA’s proposed approach could mask a serious pollution problem and expose families to an unnecessary risk of illness without any required cleanup. This is entirely incompatible with the Clean Water Act’s goal of “fishable/swimmable” waters. Quite simply, no one swims, paddles, or fishes in “average” water. They come into contact with water in whatever condition they find it at that particular time.

Headline: Reclaimed Wastewater for Drinking: Save But Still a Tough Sell

2012-01-31T12:00:00+00:00

Water filtration technology has advanced to the point where wastewater can be rendered safe for drinking, according to a new report, but legislative and psychological hurdles will need to be overcome before widespread adoption can happen.

"Expanding water reuse could significantly increase the nation's water resource, particularly in coastal communities," said Rhodes Trussell, president of Trussell Technologies in Pasadena, California, and chair of the committee that wrote the report.

Treated wastewater, also known as reclaimed water, is commonly used for irrigation and industry. And many towns already rely on reused water simply because they draw water downstream from other municipalities’ wastewater release pipes.

"De facto reuse takes place throughout the country," Trussell said.

But getting the public to knowingly drink treated wastewater has been a tough sell.

A new report by the National Research Council (NRC) that reviewed current wastewater treatment technologies found that the possible health risks associated with exposure to chemical contaminants are minimal.

"Available technology can reduce chemical and microbial contaminants to levels comparable to or lower than those present in many current drinking water supplies," Trussell said.

Trussell and the other NRC report authors say the government could do much to help increase public confidence in wastewater treatment programs for drinking—also known as potable use—and help to provide a consistent minimum level of protection across the nation. Many of these goals could be met by toughening federal regulations, they add.

"For example," Trussell said, "under the Clean Water Act, the pretreatment regulations, which have made tremendous strides to reduce toxics in the nation's wastewater since they were first implemented, could be updated to more aggressively pursue organic contaminants that were not identified on the original 1977 list." In other words, by updating the standards in keeping with current knowledge, consumers can feel more confident that the water is truly safe.

Another challenge is that water reuse regulations can vary widely by location. "In most coastal communities, municipal wastewater belongs to the wastewater utility and retaining it for reuse is fairly easy," Trussell explained. "In many inland communities that water already [legally] belongs to a downstream user."

But perhaps the biggest hurdle that will need to be overcome before the public will accept drinking recycled wastewater is not technological or legislative, but psychological.

"The psychological side is often what's critical," said Paul Rozin, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. Rozin appears in the upcoming documentary Last Call at the Oasis, which investigates several aspects of the looming global water crisis.

Most people have a deep revulsion to the idea of drinking reclaimed water, explained Rozin. "The revulsion comes from its closeness to sewage," he said. "For tap water or bottled water, people tend not to think where it comes from. But for recycled water, they do." (This despite the fact that many people already drink water drawn downstream from wastewater operations.)

One way to overcome this revulsion is to provide some mental separation between the recycled water and its source. In Last Call at the Oasis, for example, the filmmakers try selling treated water under the catchy product name of "Porcelain Springs" and enlist comedy actor Jack Black to vouch for its drinkability.

Another possibility, Rozin said, is to follow the example set by Singapore. "They're switching over to recycled water and they're doing it gradually and also giving people an economic advantage to switch," he said.

"First, they take recycled water and pump it into the ground so they don't go directly from recycled water to drinking. And they will also provide the water at any catered event [for free]."

One example of a successful wastewater-recycling program is the Groundwater Replenishment System in Orange County, California, Trussell said. There, wastewater is treated to a level exceeding state and federal drinking standards and is then released into local groundwater recharge basins, where it will eventually be re-drawn for municipal or private use. Previously, treated wastewater was simply discharged into the Pacific Ocean. But the new process should help extend the life of the aquifers, and it may make the idea of reclaimed water more appealing than more direct recycling, since the water receives additional filtering in the ground.

“This project just broke ground for expansion from 70 to 100 million gallons per day," Trussell said.

The Groundwater Replenishment System and other programs across the United States provide reasons to be optimistic about the future of wastewater treatment programs, Trussell said. "Increasingly, projects are being conducted in the open and have successfully garnered public support,” he added.

Spotlight: San Francisco Baykeeper is Sick of Sewage

2012-01-25T12:00:00+00:00

Thanks to San Francisco Baykeeper, the Bay Area is pursuing a dramatic reduction in sewage spills, minimizing health risks and pollution in the Bay. Baykeeper has forced 20 cities in the region to invest millions of dollars to replace miles of old pipes, which have spilled a staggering 17.5 million gallons of raw sewage.

California Coastkeeper Alliance

Headline: Ag runoff center of water quality debate

Headline: Judge postpones frost protection rules for Russian River growers

Headline: Celebrated Marin County salmon make their return

Press Release: Media Invited on Coastkeeper's Boat to Tour "King Tides" Tuesday Feb. 7

Press Release: High Tides Illustrate Vulnerability of Santa Barbara’s Shoreline

CCKA In The Press: Volunteer Photographers Needed to Document Next Week’s ‘King Tides’ in Santa Barbara

Press Release: King Tides Are Coming to California this February 8th

Press Release: "King Tides" Illustrate Vulnerability of California Shoreline

Headline: Californians Largely Unaware of the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta

Headline: L.A.'s wasteful sprinklers

CCKA In The Press: San Diego Coastkeeper Hosts 5th Annual Walk the Watershed on March 31

CCKA In The Press: February King Tides to Illustrate the Future Effects of Sea Level Rise

Headline: Draft Carlsbad desal agreement to be ready by spring, says Water Authority

Headline: EPA Proposal Allows 1 in 28 People to get Sick at U.S. Beaches

Headline: Reclaimed Wastewater for Drinking: Save But Still a Tough Sell

Spotlight: San Francisco Baykeeper is Sick of Sewage

Announcement: California Coastkeeper Alliance Announces New Executive Director

Announcement: King Tides Illustrate Vulnerability of California Shorelines

Spotlight: San Luis Obispo Passes Bag Ordinance

Spotlight: Waterkeeper Magazine: Saving Pugent Sound

Spotlight: Orange County Coastkeeper's Abalone Project

Announcement: The Water World Goes High Tech

Spotlight: SF Baykeeper Makes America's Cup Green

Spotlight: Sustainable Agricultural Stewardship

Spotlight: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper's Watchdog Diaries

Spotlight: How Much Water Does Thanksgiving Cost?

Announcement: CCKA's 2011 Legislative Session

Spotlight: San Diego Coastkeeper's Event: "Put a LID on Pollution"

Spotlight: Klamath Riverkeeper Surveys Salmon River

Spotlight: Ventura Coastkeeper Protects the Santa Clara River

Spotlight: New Beach Report Card App

Spotlight: Key Environmental Legislation Signed Into Law

Spotlight: Protect Areas of Special Biological Significance

Announcement: Protecting Our Coast from Desalination Facilities

Spotlight: End the "No-Otter" Zone

Announcement: 2011 California Coastal Cleanup Day

Announcement: OPC's Draft Strategic Plan

Announcement: Clean Water Laws Under Attack

Announcement: Waterkeepers 2.0: Citizen Monitoring Goes High Tech

Announcement: Happy Oceans Day

Announcement: CCKA, President Obama Celebrate National Oceans Month

Announcement: New Climate Report Addresses California Waterways

Announcement: Think Globally, Act Locally on Marine Debris

Announcement: The Power of Our Alliance: An Exchange with China

Announcement: King Tides Illustrate Vulnerability of California Shoreline